Step-up mechanism



Oct. 26, 1948 E. -H. HUGHES 274527030 STEP-UP MECHANISM Filed Oct. 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5 .2. 561mm a Ma /28$ flip Z Oct. 26, 1948. E. H. HUGHES STEP-UP MECHANISM Filed Oct. 4, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 zwuc'rvfo't idward H Hug/ms Patented Oct. 26, 1948 n TED STAT-es "STEFUEMECHANISll/I Edward H; Hughes,*Chicagonilt; assignor *to Exhibit Supply Company, Chicago',-Ill.,a corporation of Illinois Application o'ctoter i, 194's; serial-No; 01 362 invention relates to' certain new and useful improvements iiistep upmec'hani'sins adapted for use in many arts. The present invention is especiallydesigned and adapted for use in an amusement apparatus wherein a score indici'a wheel is stepped up as scorin is achieved and returned to normal '01" i 'itial position, aswhen zeioiz'ing the scoring wheel or resetting the apparatus-for different or additional play.

The principal and primary object of this invention is 'to"pro'vide in such a 'ine'chanism'an arrangement for latching the step-up and return latch lever in unlatehed relation with respect to each other until a Switch is closed at the initial playing of the amusement apparatus, the said switch being usuall'yin the forinof ab'all bumper switch suenas is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,109,678, dated March 1, I938. Inaccomplishing this object, at each initial operation of the step-up wheel, the wheelie at all times-in zero position, thereby preventing"enlargement of the score which would otherwise result where the Wheel starts in'it s initial movement from-a p'osi' tion' other than hero position.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

Theinvention'consists in the novehc'oinbination and arrangement of parts to 'be l i'e' i einafter described and claimed.

Theinvention -ewillbe best understood by reference to the accoin 'r'inying drawings showing the preferred forrh=of t instructibn,*and-in which:

1 is a perspective View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention showing certain parts illustrated in Fig, 1 in enlarged position;

Fig-.:3'ifs a fragmentary perspective view similar to that shown in Fig. 1 showing the advancing arm and the latch arm in operative engagement with respect to the step-up wheel; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in unlatched position with respect to the step-up wheel.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction as shown in the accompanying drawings.

The usual and conventional step-up mechanism comprises a mounting plate it on which there is rotatably supported a shaft H which is adapted to operate a score indici-a bearing dial (not shown) in a conventional and well-known manner, the said dial not being illustrated as it constitutes no part of my present invention.

Fixed to this shaft II is a ratchet wheel [2 carrying a stop l3 in the form of a lateral stud and adapted to bear against an adjacent portion 4' Claims. (01. 14-142 I 4 of'a spring wirepone' end l5 of'whi'ch=.is hook ed to=a le've'r' i 6 and the' opp'osite': end cportion coiled about the shaft! l as at H, with the-end iB'thereof solder'edor'otherwise fixed to the shaft i I. =.'Iil1ie arrangement issuch that as theratc'het wheel-I 2 is rotated,-inaman'ner hereinafter more fully set forth,- the coiled portion' l 'l will 'be'pla'ce'd under tension so that when *the' ratchet wheel i Zfiisfreleased for return to its 'zero position; it w illdo so u nder' the action of-the coil portion H. J Thelever t6 iswpivotally"connected "to the m'oun-tingwp'late it through 'thernedium of azpin I-9,- and-."one erid portionof this lever lfi earriesa disc zll disposed ina notch'ec'l portion 2a! "of a solenoid 2 2 mi an electro-magnetic coil 23 "of aw'ell known andlap proved con'st'ructi'on. the solenoid Z Z being-Jiniited in'its outward movement by 'anadjustment screw 24. This *coil '23. is' mounted upon the platefl'tll through the "medium of "a bracket' 2 5.

1 The upper end-',portion'of the lever 16 has piv- Y oted thereto as at 26- a bell-crank lever: 21, one end of which is angled toprovide a'dog Z-B'Ia'dapted for engagement with the teeth-=29 of "the ratchet wheel l2. A latch lever is-"indi'catedat ell and includes an angled 'end portion :providing "a 1 dog 31' adapted to have latched=engagement with:re-* spect to the teeth 29 of the ratchet wheel 12. This latch lever 30--is pivotally supported from thesplate it by means of--a pin 32 and provides a tailportion 33 having a clisc shaped end portion-34 fitting into the notchedportion 35' of a solenoid 36of-an electro-magnetic coil 37. This coil-31 is mounted on-the plate 10 through'the-medium of 'a bracket structure 38. v

The latchlevenilfl is normally held into latched engagement with-theratchet wheel l2 by-a spring 39. The dog-BS is normally held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 12 by a spring 4!).

Mounted on the plate III is a bell-crank lever 4i pivotally connected to the plate by means of a pintle 42. To one of the arms 43 of this crank is attached one end portion of a spring 44, the opposite end portion of the spring being connected to the plate II] by means of a pin 45.

The latch lever 30 carries a forwardly projecting finger 46 normally disposed beneath a lateral finger 47 provided by the lever 21, the arrangement being such that when the solenoid 36 is retracted, the finger 46 will engage the finger 41 to pivot the lever 21 to dispose the dog 28 from engagement with the ratchet wheel l2.

The arm 48 of the lever 4| has a lateral finger 49. Normally, when the dogs 28 and 3| are in engagement with the teeth 29 of the ratchet wheel [2, the finger 46 will engag an adjacent wall 50 struction, the ratchet wheel l2 cannot be stepped up at the completion of an operation until it has returned to zero position.

In conjunction with Fig. 1, I have illustrated a suggested circuit for the coils 23 and 31. In this connection, the circuit to the coil 23 is controlled by a bumper switch SI, of the type shown in the aforesaid patent, whereas the coil 31 is controlled by a switch 52 normally closed by a coin slide 53.

In operating the device in accordance with this circuit, in which circuit the source of electric energy is indicated at 54, when the switch 52 is closed to condition the game apparatus for play, the dogs 28 and 3| will be latched by the wall 50 of the finger 49 from engagement with the ratchet wheel l2, permitting theratchet wheel l2 to return to zero or initial position by action of this coilspring l1. However, upon closing .of the switch 5| by the engagement of a rolling ball with respect thereto, the coil 23 becomes energized, pivots the lever [B to disengage the wall 50 of the finger-49 from the finger 46, permitting the dogs 28 and 3| to return to engagement with the teeth 29 of. the ratchet wheel I2.

. .While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modifications without departing from the spirit of the-invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but-desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A step-up mechanism in which there is a spring rotated ratchet wheel, a step-up lever, a latch lever and electro-magnetic means for operating said levers, a device for releasably latching said step-up lever and latch in an inoperative position with respectto the wheel, comprising a pivoted lever having a portion thereof adaptedto engage beneath a portion of the latching lever and another portion adaptedto be engaged by a portion of the step-up lever, means for supporting said lever for said pivotal movement, and spring means for pivoting said lever in a direction to dispose the first named portion thereof in latched position with respect to the latch lever, said latch lever having a portion adapted to engage a portion of said step-up lever to latch said step-up lever from engagement with the wheel when said first named portion of said member is disposed in latched position beneath the portion of said latch lever.

2. A step-up mechanism in which there is a spring-rotated ratchet wheel, a step-up lever, a latch lever and electro-magnetic means for operating said levers, a device for releasably latching said latch lever from engagement with said wheel comprising means adapted to be engaged by a portion of the step-up lever and to be thereby pivoted from engagement with said latch lever.

3. A step-up mechanism in which there is a spring-rotated ratchet wheel, a step-up lever, a latch lever and electro-magnetic means for operating said levers, a device for releasably latching said latch lever from engagement with said wheel comprising means adapted to be engaged by a portion of said step-up lever and to be thereby pivoted from engagement with said latch lever, and spring means for pivoting said device in a direction for latched engagement with said latch lever.

4. A mechanism for releasably latching a stepup lever and a latch lever of a ratchet Wheel from engagement with said ratchet wheel in which the latch lever and step-up lever have interconnecting parts whereby upon movement of said latch lever said step-up lever will be releasably held from engagement with said wheel, comprising a mountin plate on which said step-up lever and said latch lever are pivotally supported, a bell-crank pivotally carried by said mounting plate and having a finger adapted to engage beneath a finger of said latch lever and adapted to be engaged by said step-up lever and be pivoted by the latter from latched engagement with said finger of the latch lever, means for pivoting said bell-crank in one direction, said bell-crank having a wall portion adapted to be engaged by said finger of said latch lever, whereby to hold said bell-crank against said pivotal movement.

EDWARD H. HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Breither et al Nov. 5, 1946 Number 

